The City of Ember Chapter 13 Summary

Deciphering the Message

She also tells Clary about the mayor's deception, and Clary says that everyone has darkness inside them—unfortunately, the mayor's darkness has gotten too big for him to control.

That makes sense to Lina—it reminds her of the longing she'd felt for the colored pencils, even though she knows it wasn't right to buy them.

Clary comes with Lina to her room, and sees that the bean seed has started to sprout. Then Clary points out something very important: the fragment "Egres" in the title, which Lina had assumed to be a name, is actually the cut-off word "Egress."

Which can only mean one thing: the document is titled "Instructions for Egress." As in, a way to exit Ember. Looks like they've really hit the jackpot.

Lina runs to find Doon at his father's shop so she can share this news with him. He returns with her to her home so they can work on figuring out the rest.

They figure out that the instructions have to do with finding something at the river's edge, going down a ledge, and finding a door. There might be a door marked with an "E" down in the Pipeworks, which Doon says he'll look for.

Doon has trouble sleeping that night. His dad asks what's wrong, and Doon chooses not to tell him about everything on his mind, hoping that his father will be proud once the mayor's treachery is revealed. One step at a time.

At some point during the night, Doon remembers the rocks bordering the river in the Pipeworks that seemed to have strange creases on them.